Eating recommended protein linked to weight loss

MINNEAPOLIS, April 27 (UPI) —

A relatively high proportion of U.S. women who reported "eating more protein" to prevent weight gain were linked to reported weight loss, researchers say.

Lead author Noel Aldrich of the University of Minnesota said study participants who had reported weight loss with eating more protein had a protein intake that was consistent with the focus on protein suggested by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance for both men and women age 19 and older is 0.80 grams — .02 ounces — of good-quality protein per kilogram of body weight per day — a 150-pound adult would require 54 grams of high-quality protein daily. Three ounces, the recommended serving size, of lean meat or poultry contains about 25 grams of protein, while 1 cup of milk or yogurt contains 8 grams of protein. Cereals, grains, nuts and vegetables contain about 2 grams of protein per serving.

The data conflict on the potential for high-protein diets to produce gastrointestinal effects, change nitrogen balance, alter mineral absorption, or affect chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis or renal stones, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee said.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota surveyed 1,824 women ages 40-60 to describe perceptions about protein sources, dietary requirements and frequency of eating protein.

Most women correctly identified good protein sources, and the majority could indicate the daily percent of dietary energy recommended from protein.

The study, published in the May/June issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, found eating more protein to prevent weight gain was reported by 43 percent of women and more than half of obese women as a practice to prevent weight gain.